Quiet and psychologically insidious, this movie does a remarkably effective job of portraying a harrowing mental breakdown. Cult psychological trauma and survivor’s guilt is often covered similarly, utilizing hallucinatory nightmare sequences often layered with symbolism and subtext in a slow burn approach. This movie does very little that differs from similar fare, there’s only so many ways to cover the same ground, and this movie manages to subvert expectations although not quite as clever as it wants to be. It is clear the filmmakers were looking to emulate Ari Aster in terms of pacing, storytelling and cinematography. While it succeeds in looking great, and maintaining a fairly languid and slow burn pace and tone, it fails to connect on a narrative level. There’s little to connect with on a character level, although this movie did play to some of my existing biases. While the movie is honestly a long and arduously paced film were not elevated by an absolutely tour de force performance by Riley Keough. This is her show and it is riveting to watch as her grip on reality unravels. The cast is sparse, yet each performance is decent, even the kids although their role doesn’t require them to be particularly sympathetic. The script meanders, setting things up quiet effectively, but losing a lot of build and momentum in the last act. However, the film ends on a fantastic note and great payoff for viewers patient enough to endure its exhausting pace.
The Lodge (2019)